Ronald A. Beghetto, PHD is an internationally recognized expert in the psychology of human creativity, GenAI, and possibilities within educational settings. He serves as Professor at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, where he holds the Pinnacle West Presidential Chair. Ranked #63 among the Top 200 University-Based Scholars in Education (2025 Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings by Education Week), Prof. Beghetto has advised globally influential organizations, including the LEGO Foundation and Cartoon Network, and provided national and international keynotes, workshops, and training for K–12 schools, districts, and higher education institutions on creativity and GenAI in education. 

Abstract:

Reimagining Education in the Gen AI Era

 Education is at a pivotal crossroads with the rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), prompting an urgent question: Will this technology be education's final exam? In other words, will formal education maintain its relevance or risk becoming obsolete in the age of GenAI? This presentation will explore the future of learning and human creativity, discussing the implications for an international audience of educational leaders, teachers, students, and parents.  We will consider possible futures that lie ahead. One focuses on the risk of students and educators becoming "digital puppets" who passively consume and regurgitate AI-generated content, thereby stifling meaningful learning and creativity. Others highlight a combination of risks and benefits of GenAI in education. A more hopeful alternative will be presented in the "build to learn, learn to create” approach, which empowers students and educators to shift from being passive consumers to active creators of custom AI tools. Audience members will learn how a more principled and human-centered use of this technology can foster student learning and creativity. The presentation will conclude by discussing how we can move toward a more promising educational future where GenAI serves as a partner in augmenting human knowledge and creativity. This ensures we are not merely waiting to see what will happen in the age of GenAI, but are preparing students to actively shape their own futures.